low light at WDW both photos and videos

[rat face]

Hi all, I made reservation for next May (2021). I was hoping to get some good low light videos and photos. I have an older Nikon DSLR (D90) it's a bit heavy but I do have a number of lenses. I might bring this just for long lenses at AK and use it just for safari and animal shots. I'm sure there are better offerings now a days. I also have a Fuji x100f I love the fuji for photos but it's not a video monster. I've been looking at getting a GoPro 8. At least for the video bits. Any suggestions on a one size fits all solution for this trip? Low light inside the rides are very important. Thanks RF

 

[BoarderPhreak]

You want the newest sensor and brightest lenses generally. Newer cameras tend to perform much better at higher ISO (less noise) and faster lenses let you shoot at slower ISO speeds. Win-win.

Are you in the market for a new camera?

 

[rat face]

You want the newest sensor and brightest lenses generally. Newer cameras tend to perform much better at higher ISO (less noise) and faster lenses let you shoot at slower ISO speeds. Win-win.

Are you in the market for a new camera?

Yes I'll get a new camera for this trip,if i find the right one that I can justafy. I'll pobaly buy a GoPro 8 or if they have a 9 by then for at least water based rides. But maybe a better low light camera. Is the GoPro good for dark rides?

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I might suggest a Fuji like the X-T4 (or get a good deal on the X-T3 and others; there are some serious Fuji sales currently). You can do stills and video no problem; no need for a separate GoPro. Since you already have the X100F, you won't have to relearn the basics.

Of course there are other options, but they're generally going to be more expensive, like Sony or Canon/Nikon, etc.

 

[rat face]

I do like the idea of another Fuji. Is the low light capabilities good on the X-Tx series? The reason I thought of the GoPro is for the water resistance. Thank you for you help.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I love my Fuji system (I have an X-T1 and X-T2, lots of lenses mostly primes). One day I'll upgrade to an X-T4 (I purposely skipped the X-T3). Between the high ISO and fast lenses, I even caught scenes inside the HM; these were at ISO 12,800:

 

[rat face]

Those are fantastic photos. What lens are you using. Also are you using the X-T1 or the X-T2 here. How is the video on these cameras? BoarderPhreak you have been so helpful

Thanks again RF

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Thanks! Those were shot with the Fujifilm 16mm f/1.4 (incredible lens) on the X-T2. You really can't go wrong with ANY of their lenses. I prefer fast primes; 16mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, 56mm f/1.2 and 90mm f/2. For Disney I generally take the 16mm, 35mm and 90mm for a nice spread - along with the 10-24mm f/4. The 16/90 are water/dust resistant so I can shoot in the rain while the zoom is super wide for tight spots. The 90mm works for the AK KS but just barely. I've brought longer lenses in the past but it's not worth it (every time) as it spends most of its time in the hotel safe. The best part is, with a combo mechanical/electronic shutter set, I can shoot the fast primes wide open all day long right into the night.

My X-T2 shoots lovely 4K video (or 720/1080) at normal/slomo. I don't shoot much video, but it's not because of the camera. The X-T4 is improved all around, so bonus.

Check out 2017, 2018 and 2019 - all Fuji shot: https://litpixel.com/gallery/sets/walt-disney-world/

 

[RScottyL]

As far as the GoPro, they DO NOT have good low light video, so skip those for anything low light you want to shoot.

Josh on the YouTube channel "ResortTV1" has some low light videos that he recorded with a Sony a6500, such as:







Check out his other videos that he recorded in low light on his channel!

 

[rat face]

As far as the GoPro, they DO NOT have good low light video, so skip those for anything low light you want to shoot.

Josh on the YouTube channel "ResortTV1" has some low light videos that he recorded with a Sony a6500, such as:







Check out his other videos that he recorded in low light on his channel!

Thanks for this ,I just saw notification.

 

[thomas998]

I would suggest a Sony A7S ii or iii... The ii only does 1080p video the iii will also do 4k. Either one of them is very good for low light as that is what they were really designed for. If you want better photo but are willing to give up a bit on the video then an A7iii is a good option.

Now all that said, you do realize that chasing good low light photos is going to cost you good amount of cash to achieve. I have wasted a consider amount of my vacation time and money chasing low light photos at Disney over the years, using ultra fast lens and the reality at the end of it all is I just ask myself why did I bother? It was a bit like trying to catch a large mouth bass... You can do it, but most people you know don't care. Even in my family my wife thinks its silly as she see no point in trying to get photos of ride whether dark or light. My kids don't care with the youngest usually mentioning some youtube video she saw of the same thing. In fact the last time we did WDW I didn't bother taking anything other than a decent point and shoot. I didn't try to shoot any low light rides, I just decided to enjoy the moment with my family and rely on my memories instead of fiddling with cameras and lenses in the hope of capturing a perfect low light shot.

So before you spend several thousand dollars on cameras and lenses, ask yourself if it is really going to be worth it. If it is, then the real key is in the camera not the lens. I can promise you that spending lots of money on lenses that are f1.2 or faster doesn't help. The depth of field is simply too shallow for you to get a decent photo or video with those lenses unless you stop down to about 1.8 at which point what was the purpose of buying the super fast lens? So remember that and it'll save you a couple thousand.

 

[rat face]

Well I've finally decided what I'm doing in regards to a camera for my trip. BTW I leave for Orlando in less than two weeks. I ordered a Fujifilm X-S10 with the 18-55 kit lens. I couldn't justify a fast prime for this trip(next one). I will most likely bring my x100F with me as well We are spending 3 days at Universal and 9 days at WDW .

Thanks to everyone in contributed to the thread.
RF

 

[FjordExploder91]

Well I've finally decided what I'm doing in regards to a camera for my trip. BTW I leave for Orlando in less than two weeks. I ordered a Fujifilm X-S10 with the 18-55 kit lens. I couldn't justify a fast prime for this trip(next one). I will most likely bring my x100F with me as well We are spending 3 days at Universal and 9 days at WDW .

Thanks to everyone in contributed to the thread.
RF

Hope you have a great trip. Hope the cameras work out well for you.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Disney security might wonder what this is.

 

[thomas998]

Well I've finally decided what I'm doing in regards to a camera for my trip. BTW I leave for Orlando in less than two weeks. I ordered a Fujifilm X-S10 with the 18-55 kit lens. I couldn't justify a fast prime for this trip(next one). I will most likely bring my x100F with me as well We are spending 3 days at Universal and 9 days at WDW .

Thanks to everyone in contributed to the thread.
RF

If it is a new camera I strongly suggest you go out and shoot with it some before your trip. As you were looking for some low light shots I also would highly recommend you go out night before you go to a local park or place with subdued lighting and try your camera out. See just how high of an ISO you can use that is usable before you go. Make notes of what work and use that when you get there. Disney is a horrible place to start trying to figure out the nuisances of a new camera. I did that once a long time ago and the end results was a lot more terrible photos than I care to remember.

Also, give Phase One Capture 21 a try. If you take shots in raw Capture is very good at bumping up the exposure by 2 to 3 stops if you spend a little time tweaking thing in the editing software. The bonus of it is you can download a free 30 day trial of it that is fully functional and that should give you plenty of time to experiment before your trip and to fix you photos after your trip.

Otherwise have a good trip, but remember don't get too hung up on getting video and photos your memories are more important.

 

[ExplorenitDave]

I would have to answer with a couple of questions because it all depends on how visible you want the low light scenario to be. If you want solid detail out of everything inside Haunted Mansion, you'll probably be best with some of the newer full frame mirrorless cameras like the Sony A7S III or the Canon R5 or R6. If you're just looking for normal bit of low-light performance, the iPhone cameras on any model XR or up are usually pretty phenomenal, believe it or not. I use the DJI stuff because it has the best all around performance for what I do. Here are a couple of videos I've shot with them.

All shot with DJI Osmo Pocket 2
Enchantment Fireworks Testing:


New Remy Ride:


Buzz Ride:


All shot with iphone XR
Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zone:


The old fountain at Epcot in front of Mousegears:



The DJI Osmo Pocket 2 is like $350 or the action camera is $200 right now. The Full frame mirrorless cameras start around $2500 for the body only. Usually you buy into the lens echo system you already have so I always go with Canon. HOWEVER, do not purchase the Canon M50. This thing is utter garbage imo and I keep trying to sell it but nobody wants it... lol. So I guess you just need to set a budget first and then we can all answer you better lol.